Francis Tucket's life has been exciting ever since his family headed to Oregon in a wagon train. First he was kidnapped by Pawnee Indians. Then Mr. Grimes, a one-armed mountain, man rescued him and taught him wilderness survival skills. Later when Francis set off alone to find his parents on the Oregon Trail, he ended up rescuing two young children stranded in the barren land. Now in Tucket's Ride, winter is forcing 15-year-old Francis to take Lottie and Billy south to avoid snowy mountains. Soon they are in the midst of a war between Mexico and the United States! But Francis' troubles really begin when they meet up with the West's most ruthless outlaw band, the Comancheros. Newbery Honor winner Gary Paulsen spins tales of the American frontier in the 1840s with realistic details and gritty honesty. Tucket's Ride continues Francis' action-packed adventure series that begins with Mr. Tucket , then Call Me Francis Tucket.
Alex Rider of Point Blank is back in another hair raising adventure. Although the 14-year-old has escaped great dangers and has twice saved the world, he now faces his most perilous foe. A Russian man with a huge grudge against the free world has a nuclear weapon and is threatening to use it. It's up to Alex to stop him.
It is 1848, and Francis Tucket is heading west on the Oregon Trail with his family. Yesterday he celebrated his 14th birthday on the tailgate of a Conestoga wagon in the foothills of the Rockies. Today, he is going to practice with his new birthday present, a Lancaster rifle. Falling far behind the wagon train, Francis loses sight of his family and is kidnapped by Pawnee Indians. Saved by a one-armed mountain man named Mr. Grimes, Francis takes off with his rescuer on a wild adventure peopled by actual historical characters, including Jim Bowie, and set against an historically-accurate background of the Old West.
Generations of young readers continue to fall in love with Marguerite Henry's "horse stories." In one of her most famous, King of the Wind, the author traces the ancestry of the great Kentucky Derby winner, Man o' War, whose mysterious pedigree is linked to the noble line leading from the Godolphin Arabian. Born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables, under the watchful eyes of the mute stable boy, Agba, the golden-coated foal seems both a blessing and a curse. On its chest it bears a cross-hatching of hair believed to be a sign of ill luck. But on its hind heel is s small white spot, the emblem of swiftness. After its mother's death, the foal is nursed by the affectionate Agba who names him Sham, for the sun. Two years later, Agba is called to the Sultan's court and ordered to accompany Sham, and five other horses and their stable boys to France, where the six steeds are to be made a present to the King. Agba and the other boys are given one command: "Each boy will care for the horse in his charge as long as that horse shall live." With this promise to strengthen him, Agba makes the arduous journey across the Sahara to France and the court of Louis XV. Little could he know what heartache and glory his loyalty to the noble Sham would bring.
The Big Wander is a trip 14-year-old Clay Lancaster and his older brother Mike have planned for years. It's Clay's dream to find his ex-rodeo star uncle, who quit the tour and disappeared somewhere in the vast and colorful Monument Valley. But Mike-heartbroken and unfocused after losing his girlfriend-soon heads for home. Clay, however, will not give up. He finds a job in a remote trading post, and follows a lead on his uncle's whereabouts that takes him deep into Navajo country. There he learns the ways of the tribe, the dangers of the wilderness, and discovers, just in time, the secret of his long lost uncle's fate. Best-selling young adult author Will Hobbs won an ALA Best Book Award for The Big Wander. Hobb's prose paired with Sala's perfect pacing and authentic accents will make you feel you are in the American Southwest. His other award-winning books, Bearstone, Beardance, Kokopelli's Flute, Changes in Latitudes, and Downriver are also available from Recorded Books, Inc.
From the author of the sensational New York Times bestseller The Thief Lord comes a thrilling new adventure about magic and self-discovery.Meggie lives a quiet life alone with her father, a bookbinder. But her father has a deep secret--he possesses an extraordinary magical power. One day a mysterious stranger arrives who seems linked to her father's past. Who is this sinister character and what does he want? Suddenly Meggie is involved in a breathless game of escape and intrigue as her father's life is put in danger. Will she be able to save him in time?Includes an excerpt from Inkspell, the sequel to Inkheart, read by Brendan Fraser.
The first audiobook in a thrilling new trilogy about an apprentice magician and the powerful djinni he summons.
Nathaniel is a young magician with only one thing on his mind: revenge.
As an apprentice to the great magician Underwood, Nathaniel is gradually being schooled in the traditional art of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a rising, star magician. When Simon brutally humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to speed up his magical education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. Eventually, he masters one of the most difficult spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimeus.
But summoning Bartimeus and controlling him are two very different things--and Nathaniel may be in way over his head.
Includes Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch.
Encyclopedia Brown looks like the usual ten-year-old boy. Actually, he is very unusual. Encyclopedia is a boy who really uses his eyes, his ears, and his head–and his head is full of facts. As for Idaville, where he lives, no grownup, boy, or girl ever gets away with breaking a single law there. That is because Chief of Police Brown's most difficult cases are solved by his son at the dinner table.
Encyclopedia Brown will keep kids guessing until the last page of each chapter book mystery.
An exciting new tale set in the world of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials saga. This collectible hardcover volume includes a short story by Mr. Pullman, plus a fold-out map of Oxford and various "souvenirs" from the past. The book is illustrated throughout with woodcut illustrations by John Lawrence.
This story of two Norwegian-American farm boys who discover the remarkable magic of storytelling is vintage Gary Paulsen-earthy, gritty, and ultimately poignant. Following the turn of the seasons, eleven year old Eldon traces the daily routines of his life on a farm and his relationship with his older brother Wayne. During the winter, with little work to be done on the farm, Eldon and Wayne spend the quiet hours with their family, listening to their Uncle David's stories. But Eldon soon learns that, although he has lived on the same farm, in the same house with his uncle for eleven springs, summers, and winters, he hardly knows him.
A fast-paced, madcap adventure--with a fresh new cover treatment--from the always surprising raconteur, Avi! It's the spring of 1945 in Brooklyn, and while WWII rages in Europe, sixth grader Frankie Wattleson--inspired by the heroics of The Lone Ranger and other radio show idols--sets out to right the wrongs of the world. Frankie is so caught up in his superhero stories that he becomes convinced the tenant renting his brother's room is a mad scientist. Can Frankie and his trusty sidekick, Mario, save the world from an evil genius? Or will Frankie's mother pull the plug on their schemes before they can save the day? Told exclusively through dialogue and radio excerpts, this fast-paced story shows off Avi's versatility and incomparable storytelling skills.
Young Tepary Jones leads a life of constant adventure. But he gets more excitement than even he can handle when he plays a flute he finds in an ancient ruin. Magic from the Distant Time changes him into a bushy-tailed woodrat and ensnares him in a world of danger and suspense. His parents don't realize what's happened to him-only his dog Dusty knows. With Dusty alone to protect him from nightly predators, Tepary must unravel the mystery behind the owner of the flute-Kokopelli himself. In Kokopelli's Flute, award-winning author Will Hobbs has created a unique and richly imagined world celebrating the timeless magic of nature and the lessons it teaches. Johnny Heller's entrancing narration continues a tradition of excellence started in: A Christmas Sonata and The Hostage.
